forcibly

American  

[fawr-suh-blee] / ˈfɔr sə bli /

adverb

1. using power or strength, especially violent physical power.

   A man leapt onto the platform, shouting and waving an umbrella, and security guards had to forcibly remove him.

   The organization continues to provide safe asylum and protection to forcibly displaced people around the world.

2. strongly or convincingly.

   With this particularly active hurricane season, coastal communities are being forcibly reminded of their vulnerability.

   The writer argues, very forcibly, that a cyber war will not take place.

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Other Word Forms

• unforcibly adverb

Etymology

Origin of forcibly

forcib(le) ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Masie Nchama, a computer science student who dreamed of moving abroad, left the central African nation for military training but found himself forcibly enrolled in the Russian army and headed for war.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Officers forcibly removed a Los Angeles Times reporter and other journalists from the area, saying they were about to conduct “mass arrests.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

As many as 1,000 people may have been forcibly returned from China to North Korea since then, according to rights groups.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

It’s difficult to imagine that forcibly collapsing the government of a multiethnic sectarian state of nearly 100 million people produces anything more than a power vacuum.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

“There has to be a way to prevent a huge blowup that doesn’t involve forcibly erasing everyone’s memories.”

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• effectively